What IEs Do

Industrial engineers design the systems that make organizations run - optimizing how people, information, materials, and technology work together. The discipline spans virtually every industry, from healthcare and logistics to manufacturing, finance, energy, and technology.

What sets IE apart from other engineering disciplines is its breadth. Where other engineers focus on specific products or processes, industrial engineers look at entire systems and ask how they can work better, faster, safer, and at lower cost. That flexibility is why IE graduates move into roles across operations, data analytics, supply chain management, consulting, healthcare systems, and leadership.

At Pitt, the IE program is one of the five oldest in the nation and combines a rigorous quantitative foundation - mathematical modeling, simulation, optimization, statistics - with real-world application through a capstone design project in an industry setting, a strong co-op program, and technical electives that let you build expertise across the University.

To learn more about the profession, visit the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE).